Leaf and Flame
by FemaleSpock
Summary: Aarch never could resist playing with fire; Norata had always been afraid of it. Norata/Keira, Aarch/Artegor.


Leaf and Flame

**Disclaimer:**** I do now own Galactik Football and I make no money from this fanfiction.**

Norata had never liked fire; in fact he'd always been mildly afraid of it, ever since he was a kid. Perhaps he'd inherited it from his father, he'd always been wary around flames too. Aarch wasn't afraid, he'd always loved fire, was fascinated by it. It was just one of the differences between the brothers that people always seemed compelled to point out, as if they didn't know already.

Whenever there were candles around Aarch would always pass his fingers through the flame, quickly enough that he didn't get burnt, laughing as he did. Aarch never could convince Norata to try it; Norata could never quite trust himself enough, he was convinced he would get burnt. Conversely, it was very difficult to get Aarch to do any work in the Greenhouse; he found it boring (sometimes Norata thought that the only thing Aarch was scared of was boredom).

Norata loved working with plants, it was peaceful and you could let your mind wander as you worked. You had to be patient with plants but all the care given paid off when you saw what had been a seed turn into a strong, healthy plant bearing flowers or fruit. To Norata it was somewhat miraculous. Aarch couldn't appreciate it because he lived too much in the present, he preferred instant results.

The one thing they had in common besides their upbringing was football, they joined the Akillian team- Aarch was a striker naturally whereas Norata was on defence.

It was shortly after he joined the team that he met Keira, at a flower show, and they started talking. They exchanged numbers, slowly became friends until the friendship grew into something more. Falling in love with Keira was gentle; she was like the cool shade beneath the trees.

He brought her flowers on their first date. And their second date. And every date after that. They fell into a comfortable routine and after a while, they decided to get married. Norata had always known he wanted to settle down young so he was ecstatic when Keira announced she was pregnant. A family to care for was everything he had dreamed of.

Aarch was the best man on the wedding day and it had been decided long before the child was born that he was to be the godfather. He supported Norata's decisions, even though he didn't understand them. He couldn't imagine ever having children himself, it all seemed so burdensome, Aarch was the elder brother but in many ways he felt younger.

Artegor Nexus had also come into their lives when they had joined the team. Norata had never been quite sure what to make of him; he seemed so cold, so aloof.

It wasn't long before he discovered that this was not the case.

He'd seen Aarch and Artegor, quite by accident, from the window of his room in the academy. They were down on the balcony that was attached to their room (as a sort of compensation for the fact that they were the only team mates who had to share) and were kissing passionately against the railings, his hands were in Artegor's hair.

In some ways he was surprised, he hadn't considered that Aarch might be interested in men, but in other ways it made perfect sense- Aarch was playing with fire again. Norata observed them carefully, they were careless, but for Aarch the idea of getting caught was no doubt part of the appeal.

Artegor was unpredictable; he wore an expressionless mask most of the time but at times would suddenly explode, he had a savage temper. Norata could also see that Artegor's feelings for Aarch were equally as violent, it didn't fit his idea of what love was but what else could it be?

Unstable was the word he would have used to describe their relationship, at least from what he could glean just from his own observations. He didn't know for sure; he never asked.

Norata learnt the hard way that nothing ever went to plan; disease or just a mild cold snap could destroy even the most carefully nurtured plants. He lost his leg, his brother, his wife. When the ice-age came his perfect family fell apart. He let the ice seep into his soul; ice was as vulnerable to fire as grass was.

He wasn't really surprised that Aarch joined the Shadows, the Smog was a cold fire, highly poisonous, but Aarch couldn't leave it alone. He never could leave it alone.

He paid for it; he paid for it with his health, with his career. It had been foolish to ever get involved with Artegor Nexus; there was no way of stopping him. He got burnt.

But he didn't come back (not until it was too late).

Norata raised his son, as best he could, but he was a broken man, old before his time, he couldn't nurture in the same way he did before he'd experienced loss.

They survived, both brothers, in their own barren wastelands. For all their differences, for all their choices, the outcome was the same.

**That's it for this fic! Please review and let me know what you think!**


End file.
